


Our Starless Night

by Nabicchi



Category: The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 魔道祖师 | Módào Zǔshī (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Lan wanji is a great wingman, M/M, No Homo, Wei wuxian is a great wingman, all homo, jiang cheng is insecure, jiang cheng just wants peace, jiang cheng swears he's straight, jk, lan xichen believes otherwise, lan xichen is as stubborn as Lan wanji, smol bean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-07-20 10:38:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16135511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nabicchi/pseuds/Nabicchi
Summary: Jiang Cheng swears he's straight, and Lan Xichen is about to test that out.In other words, Jiang Cheng realizes he's, in fact, not as straight as he assumed he was and Wei Wuxian bathes in the humiliation his best friend's suffers from; refusing to let a day go by without reminding him."Jiang Cheng, you like Lan Xichen?!""Wei Wuxian, you--!"





	1. Jiang Cheng beats himself up for something that wasn't his fault

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing something about Mo Dao Zu Shi, so please go easy on me T^T

At the age of seven, Jiang Cheng had found the idea of two men loving each other revolting beyond belief.

 

He'd been out, racing about with his friends as his sister trailed behind them with a soft smile on her face when he saw it  when he saw  _them._ Standing there, eyes filled with lust or love  Jiang Cheng could never figure out which of the two it was  hugging each other like their lives depended on it. Sure, he'd hug his friends plenty of times, but never like  _that_. 

 

" _Those damned cut sleeves!_ " 

 

He'd heard his friends say, their tone filled with absolute disgust as they jerked away from the two men in a way that suggested the older men were filled with diseases and something that was surely contagious. 

 

_Cut sleeves?_

 

He remembered the confusion that swelled up in him at the two words. Jiang Cheng never asked what it meant. He didn't need to, as his friends all laughed at the older men viciously, their words cruel and brutal as A-Li scolded them, successfully shutting them up with a slap to their heads. Jiang Cheng remembered the way she had apologized to them, and wondered why she'd do such a thing. 

 

Why was she apologizing for something that wasn't her fault? 

 

Those two men were obviously to blame, so what was the point of her saying sorry?

 

 _Disgusting_ , Jiang Cheng thought, his lips twisting into a feral sneer as he turned on his heels and followed after his friends.  _They were disgusting._

 

He had thought that for his whole life, so _why?_

 

 _Why_   was this happening?

 

Wei Wuxian stared at him with a slacked jaw and eyes as wide as saucers, as he pointed at Jiang Cheng, then towards the older brother of the Two Jades of the Lan : _Lan Xichen_. 

 

The winds were howling and picking up the fallen leaves and bowed slightly, inviting it to dance and gleamed with happiness when the leaves said yes. The trees rustled in response to the harsh slap of the weather, as the sun kissed the sky goodbye and dipped back into the horizon, letting it's rays paint the clouds the softest hue of pink and orange as animals alike settled into their nesting ground; ready to sleep and be at peace. 

 

Jiang Cheng instantly regretted voicing his thoughts the moment Wei Wuxian opened his mouth. 

 

"You  ~~~~ _you_   like Lan Xichen?!" 

 

Perhaps going to Wei Wuxian wasn't the best of ideas, Jiang Cheng realized; albeit, a little bit too late. 

 

 

 

 

It wasn't as if Jiang Cheng fell for him at first, _heavens no_. Sure, Lan Xichen of the Gusu Lan clan was indeed handsome, and was probably the most stunning man Jiang Cheng ever laid his eyes on, that he had to admit. But the thought of falling for him  the future head of the Gusu Lan clan  never once crossed Jiang Cheng's mind. Not once. He was a man, and that soft-spoken peer of his was _also_ a man. 

 

And Jiang Cheng was definitely sure he was _not_ a cut sleeve. 

 

At least, not until _that day_. 

 

 

 

 

To say that Jiang Cheng's first few weeks into the Cloud Recess was something to brag about with pride was a lie. From Wei Wuxian causing trouble on his first day, _his first day_ , to said boy almost drowning, and possibly _dying_ , was something the young master of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect definitely did want to talk about. 

 

Especially when the latter was his fault. 

 

Wei Wuxian falling into the waters flashed through his mind vividly each night, the details clearer and brighter every time he remembered it. When he'd forget, even if it was for a split second, the thought would come sneaking up on him with enough force to send a whole army of cultivators to their knees.

 

When he least expected it, it'd crawl into his bed and coo him to sleep, whispering it's white lies into his ears before thrusting him into a set of nightmares, waking him up from his dreams with a stifled scream and desperate gasp for air. It crossed his mind day in and out, and, despite Wei Wuxian telling him to not beat himself up over it, that had been exactly what Jiang Cheng had done. 

 

If it hadn't been for Lan Wanji, then who knows what would've happened? He had been so close, yet so far. With paralyzing dread, he watched his closest friend plunged into the water, believing he'd come up, because _come on_ , this was Wei Wuxian; the stubborn brat who refused to leave him alone even in his own _dreams_. He had to come up, right? He just had to. 

 

Except, he hadn't. 

 

With each passing second, Jiang Cheng's dread turned into fear when his best friend didn't resurface. With his thoughts tearing him to pieces, Jiang Cheng didn't know what to do. One side screamed at him to dive into the waters and search for his friend, while the other yelled at him to stay where he was and that it was too dangerous for him to go alone, that he wasn't strong enough and he'd just create a bigger hassle for everyone. In the end, the latter side won and Jiang Cheng was left to wait for someone to rescue his dearest friend. 

 

And Lan Wanji did exactly that. 

 

 _It's fine Jiang Cheng_ , Wei Wuxian had chirped cheerfully when he saw the stressed lines on his friend's face. _I'm alive, aren't I_? 

 

Jiang Cheng wanted to argue, wanted to say it wasn't fine, but heard the firm tone in his words' and dropped it. 

 

Wei Wuxian was fine, so that's all that mattered. 

 

Jiang Cheng stripped out of his clothes and into his robes, the silk sending a shiver down his spine as he undid his hair and let it fall against the lining of his back. He contemplated on undoing the brain, but in the end decided not to as he rolled onto his bed, staring at the ceiling as heavy bags lined under his eyes. He hadn't had a proper sleep since that day, the guilt wracking through his body and refusing to let him sleep. 

 

The sheets under him crumpled as his body fought the urge to sleep. 

 

After several moments of silence, Jiang Cheng sat up, cursing his body for refusing to let him sleep when the tiredness had etched it's way into his brain. _Just one day_. He just wanted one day where nightmares didn't plague his dreams, was that so hard to ask for? 

 

Jiang Cheng pushed himself off his bed, feeling his opened window let in the breeze that pushed against his hair, letting it flow with the wind as he stared outside the window, gazing up at the clouds drifting through the sky. The stars winked down at him, lighting up the night with it's companion as it disappeared behind the soft clouds.

 

All around, he heard the sound of crickets singing into the night, calling it's fellow mates into waking up as the rush of water slapped through the silence. 

 

This was nice. 

 

Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of nature try to whisper him to sleep. He was drifting and drifting, focusing on the sound of water meeting ground as the wind rustled against the leaves of the trees in the background. His eyes drooped with each passing second, getting heavier and heavier to keep uplift as his body stood hunched over the table in front of him. 

 

Slowly, he curled himself up against the soothing and cold surface of the table, placing his head onto the table without much thought.  _Perhaps I can be at peace for today._ Jiang Cheng whispered to himself as he closed his eyes, the incident that haunted him during sunrise and sunset disappearing from his mind and banished from his thoughts.  _Just one day._

 

The last thing he heard before he was claimed by sleep was the gentle singing of the waterfalls, and the distant, soothing song of a guqin. 

 

When he had awoken the next day, he found himself tucked in bed with his braids neatly undone and brushed off to the side of his head. 

 

That had been the first day Jiang Cheng slept peacefully in such a long time. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder who tucked him into bed and played that guqin :)
> 
> Also, I kinda wrote this out of frustration and for myself, too. A lot of images and words had been drifting through my head and I was so frustrated because I couldn't see it in front of me so I went 'fuck it' and shoved my other books to the side and wrote this. Now I don't feel as frustrated ahahaha. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys liked this short, uh, chapter :)


	2. Jiang Cheng swears he's not getting stalked and Wei Wuxian laughs, because no

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "By the heavens," Wei WuXian gasped, reeling around and throwing a finger towards his friend's face. "You're getting stalked, Jiang Cheng!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The parts of these chapters will be alternating between the 'present' (where Wei WuXian exclaimed "You -- you like Lan XiChen) and the past that leads up to said boy saying such thing. In the previous chapter, the part where Jiang Cheng has trouble falling asleep and the first part of this chapter are all in the 'past'. 
> 
> I didn't want to cause any confusion, so yeah. . .

 

"Jiang Cheng!" Wei WuXian stood from his seat, waving his hand in the air excitedly, as disciples from different sects flickered their attention to the loud, cheerful boy in brief silence. Wei WuXian payed them no attention and grinned when his friend took the seat next to him, an annoyed glare aimed towards yours truly as Jiang Cheng made himself comfortable in his seat. 

 

"You didn't wake me up," Jiang Cheng grumbled, his voice low and glare grim. He'd almost been late and had to rush in getting ready. 

 

Wei Wuxian smiled, propping his chin onto the palms of his hand and tilted his head. "Did you want me to?" He hummed, the curls of his eye sly. "You looked rather peaceful, and being the great friend I am  " Jiang Cheng scoffed. " I let you rest and was ready to give Lan Qiren an excuse if you were late!"

 

He scooted closer, pushing the meal in front of him away and towards Nie HuaiSang who fanned his face, hiding his rosy cheeks from the peering and disapproving looks of the Lan Sect. 

 

"Plus, you're always yelling at me when I wake you up, so what was I suppose to do?" Wui WuXian sighed, shrugging his shoulders and locking his hands behind his head. He paused, then added as an after thought, "the dark circles under your eyes have disappeared, too, so you're welcome!"

 

Jiang Cheng muttered something under his breath and rolled his eyes. He had a limited amount of time to eat his, rather bland, breakfast. Despite his peaceful sleep, the short time in which he had to get ready ruined it and Wei WuXian, being the troubled kid he was, was definitely not helping with his case.

 

At the very least, he had to thank his friend for fixing his hair and placing him into bed. He would have woken up with a tensed back and forced to undo his braid only to redo it with an aching back. Knowing Wei WuXian, the boy would've most likely tried to help in easing the pain only to make it worse. 

 

Wei WuXian indeed.

 

Sighing, Jiang Cheng turned towards the cheerful boy, who had left his side and was now... harassing? Bothering? Bullying? Lan Wanji with no shame whatsoever. 

 

"Wei WuXian, that idiot," Jiang Cheng muttered under his breath, narrowing his eyes into two viscous split as he stood from his seat. Nei HuaiSang lowered his fan and tried to stop the seething young master, but only got brushed off. 

 

"Lan Zhan," Wei WuXian dropped down to the empty seat besides the young master of the Lan clan and slyly eyed the food in front of him, a mischievous glint to his eyes. On the other side of Lan Wanji sat Lan XiChen, calmly eating and nodding his head towards Wei WuXian in acknowledgement. "Lan Zhan, don't you think your soup is bland? Here, my Shijie sent me some spices a few days ago as a gift after I sent her a letter complaining about how tasteless the cooking is. It'll bring more flavor to your soup, I promise  ayayayayaya, Jiang Cheng that hurts!" 

 

Jiang Cheng only twisted Wei WuXian's ear harder. A-Li taught him well. 

 

"I apologize for his behavior, young master Lan," Jiang Cheng said, bowing his head as he continued on twisting his friend's ear. Turning to the troubled boy, Jiang Cheng's calm demeanor took a complete change as he hissed under his breath, "Wei WuXian, you fool! Are you looking to get kicked out of here!?"

 

"But A-Cheng! I was simply offering to make his soup better  okay, okay,  _okay_ , I'll stop!  _I'll stop!_ " Wei WuXian shrieked. Satisfied with his response, the young master of the YunmengJiang Sect turned to the two Lan brothers once again and apologized. 

 

Lan XiChen was the first to speak up, his voice drawled around amusement as he waved his hand around, indicating it was fine. "No need to apologize young master Jiang. Wei WuXian-xiong, may I try out that spice you mentioned of?" 

 

Jiang Cheng and Nei HuaiSang simultaneously tensed up, already knowing where this was headed. The two exchanged knowing glances and Jiang Cheng stepped up, and warned, "I don't think that's a good idea  "

 

"Why, of course you can!" Wei WuXian interrupted, chirping cheerfully as he dug through his sleeves and pulled out something that had Jiang Cheng silently sending his friend  brother  a warning glare. Huh. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Glaring. "Here! Just pour some in and  "  _t_ _hat was not some_ , "  and it'll make everything much better!"

 

"Wei WuXian, what do you _think_ you're _doing_ "

 

"It's fine," Lan XiChen waved off, stirring the spices with his soup and hesitantly brought the spoon up to his lips. He took a sip and paused before placing the the spoon back to the side of his bowl. Bringing the sleeves of his robes up to his mouth, Lan XiChen cleared his throat and smiled. "It definitely brought some flavor, like you said young master Wei."  

 

"Exactly!" He beamed with pride and ignored Lan XiChen's gesture for someone to bring him water. "I knew you had better taste than your brother, Lan XiChen-xiong!" Wei WuXian turned to Lan Wanji and nudged him with a grin. "Lan Zhan, why aren't you more like this? You'd be much more attractive if you took after your brother!"

 

Lan Wanji simply stared at Wei WuXian before returning back to eating his breakfast. "... how foolish." 

 

Wei WuXian blinked owlishly.

 

Then.

 

"Eh?! Lan Zhan, what do you mean by that?! Say that again  "

 

"That's enough out of you for one day," Jiang Cheng cut in, yanking him up by his collar and bowed once again, while Wei WuXian thrashed in his arm, whining his day away like his life depended on it. "Wei WuXian, the day hasn't even started and you are already being a hassle!" 

 

"How could you say that to the person who let you sleep in?" Wei WuXian asked, as if offended by his closest friend's words. "You should be thanking me! How cruel you are, Jiang Cheng!"

 

"The only thing I'll be thanking you for is placing me into bed and undoing my hair for me, Wei WuXian," Jiang Cheng said. "That's the only good thing you've done so far during your stay here." 

 

"How rude! I've done plenty of good things like," Wei WuXian trailed off, then cleared his throat. "I've done plenty of good things, Jiang Cheng!"

 

"Is that so," Jiang Cheng said flatly. 

 

"Yes! And speaking of good things, what do you mean by tucking you in bed like a child?"

 

"That is not what I said. Rephrase it better." 

 

"Same thing, different wording." 

 

Jiang Cheng blinked, slowly, and turned to face his best friend. "You," he started, face blank, "have been getting under my skin lately." 

 

"Is that so," Wei WuXian smiled cheekily. "No, but I was being serious. What do you mean by undoing your hair and placing you in bed? You know I would never do such a thing, I'm not that nice." 

 

Jiang Cheng's eyebrows twitched as he took in a deep, slow breath and told himself to not hit Wei WuXian on the head right now. He'd hit him later.

 

Where there would be no people to witness his actions. 

 

Hard. 

 

"Stop acting like a fool, A-Xian," the purple clothed master said, continuing his walk back to his seat, as everyone returned their attention back to their food. Class would start any minute now and he still hadn't had time to take a bite of his breakfast, too busy trying to get Wei WuXian to stop bothering the Lan brothers; specifically Lan Wanji. 

 

How the younger brother managed to tolerate Wei WuXian, Jiang Cheng would never understand. 

 

"I'm not acting!" Wei WuXian whined, leaning his weight onto the older boy. "I'm being serious! When I came to your room, you were already tucked in bed like and sleeping like a child!"

 

Jiang Cheng paused, his mouth curling into a frown as he stared at his friend. He _seemed_ to be telling the truth. Sitting back onto his seat, and taking a sip of his soup, Jiang Cheng eyed Wei WuXian who's brows were furrowed into a curious stare. "If you're thinking of playing some sort of joke on me right now, I swear to the heavens Wei WuXian  "

 

"I'm serious!" Wei WuXian interrupted, not even allowing his oldest friend to finish his sentence. "Look me in the eyes, and you will know I'm telling the truth!"

 

"The last thing I want to do is look at your face." Jiang Cheng sipped his soup, his voice even as he said his next words. "It's pretty unattractive."  

 

"Jiang Cheng, you  !" 

 

"Now, now, let's not fight, you guys," Nei HuaiSang intervened, his eyes filtering across the room, and continued in a hush whisper. "Lan QiRen just entered the room, so it's best if you both lower your voices. Shouting is prohibited in Cloud Recesses, and you've already angered him enough this week, Wei WuXian!" 

 

"I didn't even mean to touch his forehead ribbon!" The said boy whined in reply. "My back and feet still hurt from standing upright for hours on end while getting planked! Can you believe it? How ridiculous he is!"

 

"Wei WuXian, you never learn, do you?" Jiang Cheng sighed, as the gong resonated through out the place. He stood up from his seat and rolled his head to the side, the 'pop' satisfying him beyond belief.  

 

The three left side by side, heading towards the pavilion library where class would be taking place today, while Wei WuXian bothered Jiang Cheng nonstop about what he had said. Wei WuXian was on a mission and he was going to get what he wanted. "A-Cheng! You say something as interesting as that and expect me to not want to know? What do you take me for, a fool?" 

 

"Quite frankly, I do," was Jiang Cheng's sincere reply. 

 

Nei HuaiSang laughed quietly behind his fan, the interaction between his two friends never failing to amuse him. 

 

In the end, Wei WuXian's constant blabbering and begging, that soon turned into desperation, made Jiang Cheng submit. The young master of the YunmengJiang sect told them everything that had taken place; from him not being able to sleep all the way to him sleeping and waking up in his bed, the place where he had definitely not rested with his hair undone for him. He watched the way the expressions on his friends' face changed, altering between three constant look:

 

Interest, surprise, and worry. 

 

Jiang Cheng expected questions to come tumbling out of their mouth, instead he got; 

 

"By the heavens," Wei WuXian gasped, reeling around and throwing a finger towards his friend's face. "You're getting stalked, Jiang Cheng!"

 

Needless to say, Jiang Cheng felt completely justified in smacking Wei WuXian on the head. 

 

 

[...] 

 

 

"You   _you_ like Lan XiChen?!"

 

"Say that louder, won't you? I don't think Lotus Pier heard you," Jiang Cheng hissed, slapping his friend on the head. His eyes flickered across the quiet place and was relieved to see no one else was around, save for the two Lan brothers who were far enough to not hear what his idiot of a friend had exclaimed. 

 

"But  but, you were always going on about how cut sleeves were disgusting! And now you're telling me Lan XiChen turned you bent?" Wei WuXian whispered in disbelief, not believing what he was hearing. He placed a finger to his temple, pursing his lips in a thoughtful frown as his eyes flickered back and forth between Jiang Cheng and the older brother of the Twin Jades. Then, his lips quirked into a grin. "Jiang Cheng, you _sly_   fox!"

 

Jiang Cheng glared at his friend and shoved him off of his arm. "Forget it," he muttered, turning on his heels and figuring he'd keep this to himself. Perhaps he was just confused, and  

 

" _Lan XiChen_!" 

 

Jiang Cheng reeled around, snapping his head and attention over to that idiotic friend of his and glared when he saw him excitedly waving at the two Lan brothers. "Lan Zhan, why don't you wave at me? How rude!" Wei WuXian yelled. Instantly the said boy started to walk over, his face stiff and blank, and Wei WuXian cursed. "I forgot to shouting was prohibited. Wait, Lan Zhan, stay there, I didn't mean to shout  Lan Zhan, come on, we're friends, do me a  he's not going to let me off." 

 

With those final words being uttered, Wei WuXian grabbed Jiang Cheng by the wrist and started to run from the younger brother and towards the older one, swerving left and right to avoid the hands of Lan Wanji. "Lan XiChen, tell you're brother off! Please, my back still aches from what happened with Lan QiRen  Lan Zhan!" He ducked under the hold of Lan Wanji, bringing Jiang Cheng down with him. 

 

"Wei WuXian, you !" 

 

Jiang Cheng yelped, the sleeves of his robe ripping with the harsh tug. In an instant, the two who had dragged him into their little bickering paused and stared at his robes. "A-Cheng," Wei WuXian trailed off and slowly backed off. "Don't get mad." 

 

"You've done it now, you little  " 

 

"Now, now," Lan XiChen cut in, placing his hand on Jiang Cheng's and lowering his raised fist with a calm smile. "Let's all calm down. Brother, let young master Wei off this once, and Jiang Cheng-xiong, I have a spare uniform you can borrow while we have it fixed. It won't take long, but in the meantime you'll need something to wear. I assume you know where your uniform will need to be fixed?"

 

"We do!" Wei WuXian tugged, a triumphant grin taking place on his lips a he tugged Jiang Cheng over to the direction where they'd need to go. Lan Wanji said nothing, but frowned as the two residents of YunmengJiang sect slowly eased away from him. "I'll see you later, Lan Zhan!" 

 

Soon enough, they were out of the earshot of the Twin Jades of Lan and Jiang Cheng, once again, smacked his friend. "What? No 'Thank you, A-Xian'?" Wei WuXian asked, rubbing his arm with an exaggerated sigh. "And to think I got Lan XiChen to give his uniform to you."

 

"Borrow," Jiang Cheng snapped, narrowing his eyes. " _Borrow_." 

 

"I still don't hear a thanks," Wei WuXian sung. 

 

"And you're not going to hear it very soon, either," sneered Jiang Cheng, already in the process of taking off his outer robe. "You idiot, what do you think mother will say  " 

 

A hand grabbed a hold of Jiang Cheng, and the boy's shoulders stiffened up, as he whirled around, ready to question the person who had the courage to do something and his breath stuttered to a stop. 

 

Lan XiChen stood there, hands outstretched where a white, thinly robed robe, made of silk and woven with designs of clouds on the edges of the sleeves, laid. The breeze passed by, lifting a strand of black locks onto his shoulders as the wind tickled at Jiang Cheng's neck, swaying his purple ribbon with it's rhythm, while inviting Lan XiChen's to dance. 

 

"You left before I could ask if you'd come to my sleeping quarters," the older male said softly, placing the uniform in Jiang Cheng's hands. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. Jiang Cheng didn't notice. "It wasn't far from here, and I assumed you wanted it first."

 

"O-oh," Jiang Cheng said, clearing his throat as Wei WuXian snickered from beside him. "Young master Lan, you didn't have to go through the trouble, I would have  "

 

Lan Xichen waved his hand, and shook his head. "It's fine. It was just a short walk, so there was no trouble at all, Jiang Cheng," he said. Lan XiChen smiled, the act a terrifying and, frankly, devastating gesture as Wei WuXian nudged his friend, the ever growing smirk on his face prompting Jiang Cheng to slap it off.

 

"I can help," he had offered once Lan XiChen disappeared from their view, his words genuine but his smile vicious.

 

Jiang Cheng wished he had said no.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jiang Cheng: Wei Ying, NO
> 
> Wei Wuxian: Wei Ying, YES
> 
> This chapter is probably lacking, but this is a side project in order to relieve my stress. One day I'll probably write a MDZS fic, but NOT as a side project. Usually my side projects are very short, but I haven't really decided with this book, yet. 
> 
> Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter ^^


	3. Wei WuXian being Wei WuXian

Jiang Cheng really did hate Wei WuXian.

 

"Young master Jiang is getting stalked?!"

 

"Dear Lord, we must report this back to the YungmengJiang Sect this instant!"

 

"Oh, the horror!"

 

"Which one of you imbeciles would do something of such degree! Do you have no shame?!" 

 

All around, people who kissed up to the future leader sect hustled around, their voice gathering unwanted attention and unwanted chaos. Jiang Cheng recognized none of them, their faces a flash of blur as they bustled around, puffing their chest out as they glowered down any one who caught their attention for being 'suspicious'. His cheeks flushed a deep red as disciples of the Gusu Lan sect flickered their attention to them, their brows drawn into an annoyed frown that somehow managed to compliment their features perfectly. 

 

Jiang Cheng really did hate Wei WuXian. 

 

"Enough!" Like the distant clap of thunder, Jiang Cheng's sudden words startled everyone to a stop, the authority doing nothing to hide the embarrassment behind his firm tone. "All of you, scram!"

 

Not even wasting a second of their time, the crowd did as they were told.

 

 _All_  of them. 

 

Stalking up to a familiar black haired boy, Jiang Cheng grabbed him by the collar, his nostril flaring as he stopped the boy in his tracks. " _You_ ," the growl rolled past his lips and resonated through the tense atmosphere. "Where do you think you're going,  _Wei WuXian_?"

 

The said boy's shoulder stiffened and he scratched his neck nervously, looking over his shoulder to meet the vicious glare of his best friend and sent a strained smile aimed at his best friend. "I'm scramming like you told me to!" He said in his defense, crossing his arms over his chest and avoided the ever-growing flare in his friend's eyes. "A-Cheng  "

 

" _ **Don't** call me A-Cheng_." 

 

"Alright then," Wei WuXian continued, unaffected. "Young master Jiang of the YungmengJiang Sect, would you ever be the most humble future sect leader and let me, a simple and innocent bystander Wei WuXian, go?"

 

Jiang Cheng's brows twitched. "The nerves you possess is either extremely courageous, or extremely stupid beyond measures, A-Xian."

 

"I've heard that quite a few times at my stay here. Majority of it from old man Lan." Wei WuXian shrugged his shoulders, a cheeky smile slipping onto his face and stretching across his lips. "I'm rather brave, if I do say so myself."

 

Jiang Cheng sighed, releasing his grip and waved his hand around. "You . . . do not talk to me for the rest of the day." 

 

"Eh?!" Wei WuXian's face morphed into one of confusion. He stepped around Nei HuaiSang, who covered his face with his fan and nervously fanned himself. "A-Cheng, why!"

 

"Listening to you isn't good for my health. I'll surely be an old man by the end of this year if I do," was Jiang Cheng's sincere reply. 

 

Walking bristly back to the classroom, Jiang Cheng was set on ignoring Wei WuXian for the rest of the day and nearly broke his words when the said boy replaced his Gusu-made-curry with his not-Gusu-made-curry. In other words, Wei WuXian made his own version of curry and nearly burnt Jiang Cheng's taste buds off, resulting in a nearly-mountain-of-curses that would surely bring Madam Yu to shame if she heard such vulgar words. 

 

"A-Cheng, I said I was sorry!" Wei WuXian cried from behind him as Jiang Cheng fanned his face with Nei HuaiSang's fan. He had taken it forcefully from the weaker of the three and tried to cool himself down with it. "A-Cheng, I really tried my best to not make it as spicy, you can even ask Lan Zhan!" 

 

"But, Wei Ying," Nei HuaiSang said in a whisper, bringing his sleeves to cover his mouth as he continued, "Lan Wanji nearly crushed his spoon and kicked you out of the Library Pavilion when he took a bite of your curry."

 

"Yeah, but he didn't yell at me, so surely that means it wasn't _that_ bad!" 

 

Jiang Cheng turned around, his eyes narrowed into two vicious split and without even a shred of hesitation proceeded to throw the fan and successfully hit Wei WuXian square in the face. "Get lost!" 

 

Ignoring the fan that had hit him, Wei WuXian's eyes lit up as he bounded towards his best friend. "You finally talked to me  ayayayayayaya, I'll stop, I'll _stop_!" Jiang Cheng only twisted his ear harder, grinding his teeth together and only seized in his actions when he saw a familiar face emerge from the shadows. 

 

"Young master Lan," he said stiffly, releasing his hold on Wei WuXian's ears and placed his palms together, bowing as he kicked that idiot friend of his to do the same. "What brings you to this part of the Cloud Recess?"

 

Lan XiChen smiled, flickering his faze to the three lively disciples and laughed, the amusement lacing his words as he said, "Indeed, what did bring me here?" 

 

"Was it my dashing screams?" Wei WuXian asked, sighing dramatically as if it pained and tired him to say this. "Or perhaps did my good brother Lan XiChen sense that I, a poor bystander, was being wrongfully blamed for something that wasn't my fault and come to save the day?"

 

Jiang Cheng gasped, losing his composure as he pointed his fingers accusingly at the black haired male. "Wrongfully blamed?! You _poisoned_ my meal!"

 

"Poisoned is a strong word." Wei WuXian said. "I prefer 'flavored' if you see things from my perspective." 

 

"Perspective? What _perspective?!_ "

 

Before things could get any worse  mostly on Wei WuXian's part  Lan XiChen stepped in, that damned smile gracing his face and prompting Wei WuXian to send a smug grin towards Jiang Cheng who did his best to not grab Nei HuaiSang's fan again and slap his face with it. 

 

"Now, now, let's all calm down," Lan XiChen said, smiling. 

 

"Yeah, Jiang Cheng." Wei WuXian commented smugly. 

 

It took all Jiang Cheng's willpower to not slam his best friend onto the ground. _All_ of it. Along with Nei HuaiSang's who desperately held onto the end of his sleeves to the point it nearly ripped.

 

If only Nei HuaiSang wasn't such a good kid and had stopped him, Wei WuXian would've surely been dead by now. 

 

"The night is about to fall," Lan XiChen said, flickering his eyes to the horizon and saw the sun dip behind the mountains, the soft winds howling the moon and starts to come out. "And as lovely as this whole thing was, I think it's about time you two go to sleep." 

 

"Yeah, Jiang Cheng, we should all go back to  wait, two?" 

 

Lan XiChen tilted his head and nodded. "Yes, two." 

 

"Why two?" 

 

"Why two?" Lan XiChen repeated, then paused. He flickered his eyes between the three of them and after several seconds, smiled again. He motioned for the three of them to follow after him and started heading towards the guest disciples quarters. "The curfew is about to set. I think it's best if young master Wei and young master Nei head back to their quarters."

 

Wei WuXian hovered his hands over the door and turned around, slowly. "Wait, what about Jiang Cheng?"  

 

Lan XiChen turned around and motioned for Jiang Cheng to fall for him, albeit in confusion. "Well you see, there have been some rumors going on today about young master Jiang, and it's reached both my and my uncle's ears." He looked over his shoulder and waved towards the two other disciples. Jiang Cheng froze, his blood running cold. It couldn't possibly be _that_ rumor, right? News couldn't be traveled around that fast.

 

It just couldn't. 

 

"Apparently, young master Jiang is being stalked by one of the Gusu's disciples?"

 

Except it could. 

 

Jiang Cheng's face paled as silence fell onto the four of them. 

 

He really did hate Wei WuXian.

 

 

[...]

 

 

"This is not considered 'helping'!"

 

"Yes, it does!"

 

"How?!"

 

"You'll see!" 

 

Digging through the bushes and shoveling the dirt out of the way, Wei WuXian wiped the sweat off of his forehead while the sun peaked out from the horizon. The Gusu Lan disciples still hadn't risen from their sleep, yet, and Wei WuXian smiled at the thought knowing he woke before they did.

 

Well, of course he had to in order for the plan to work. 

 

The plan that Jiang Cheng was so heavily against. 

 

"Wei WuXian, Lan QiRen will definitely kick you out of Cloud Recesses if you keep this up!" Jiang Cheng hissed under his breathe, but he simple ignored him, continuing to work and mutter things left and right as he dug and dug, gathering leaves and grass and pushing Jiang Cheng out of the way. "A-Xian!"

 

"Yeah, yeah, sure he will," was Wei WuXian's nonchalantly reply. "He'll definitely see the effort I put in this and understand the struggles I went through in order to achieve this."

 

"No, he won't!"

 

"He will if Lan XiChen steps in and says so." 

 

Jiang Cheng paused, lowering his and hand drawing his brows into a confused frown. "You . . . what do you mean by that?" 

 

Wei WuXian grinned and winked. "You'll see." He repeated. 

 

Without a warning, Wei WuXian stepped up and started racing towards the headquarters the Gusu Lan disciples and residents were staying at and with one vicious roar, he screamed so loud Jiang Cheng had to cover his ears. In an instant, doors slammed opened and kids and adults alike came tumbling out with Lan QiRen at the head leading them with his two precious twin jade by his side.  

 

Just what exactly was Wei WuXian thinking?!

 

" _Old man Lan!_ " 

 

Low and behold, Wei WuXian in all of his pathetic glory threw himself at the old man's feet, shedding tears that made everyone tense up in confusion; not knowing whether to confront the boy or punish him for breaking one of the sect's rule so early in the morning. Just what was going on? What was this troublesome brat trying to get at, waking them up in the morning when the sun hadn't even peaked over the horizon, yet, with his horrid screams? 

 

"Wei Ying! You, what do you think you're doing?!" Lan QiRen shouted, still in his sleeping robes and much too exhausted to deal with any of this brat's shenanigans. 

 

 _That's what I want to know, too!_  Jiang Cheng wanted to shout, but what left his mouth was a dry exhale. 

 

"It's Jiang Cheng!" Wei WuXian cried in response, pointing a finger right at his best friend who pointed a finger at himself, too. 

 

"Me?" Jiang Cheng muttered in disbelief. He narrowed his eyes as the sect disciples rubbed the sleepiness out of their eyes. What was Wei WuXian up to this time? 

 

"He refuses to give me back my belongings!" 

 

Hah? 

 

Jiang Cheng stood there, dumbfounded as his brain tried to process what was going on. 

 

"Tell him to give it back or I'll continue on disrupting the Cloud Recces! I'll take all punishments over and over and break the rules repeatedly until he gives me back what's rightfully mine!"

 

_Hah?_

 

Posture as straight and rigid as a rule, Lan QiRen's expression was as smooth as ice. The wind brushed against his goatee and his loose clothing fluttered against the cool air while he took a step forward. Jiang Cheng instinctively took a step back. He couldn't have possibly believed Wei WuXian, right? 

 

"Jiang Cheng," Wei WuXian's lips stretched into a grin behind Lan QiRen who uttered his friend's name. "It's far too early to be messing around with this troublesome brat. Hurry up and give him his belongings before he goes and violate all the rules repeatedly." 

 

"Wait, but I didn't steal anything  !" Jiang Cheng paused and look at the ground Lan QiRen was nearing. "Sir, I really must say, do not take any more steps. That brat Wei WuXian  "

 

"Lies!" Said boy cried, successfully interrupting Jiang Cheng and ushering Lan QiRen to hurry. "He's trying to stall time, that sly fox!"

 

"Hah?! Me? A sly fox?!"

 

"Yes! You're a sly fox! Stealing my belongings in the middle of the night and refusing to give it back to me, have you no shame?!"

 

" _Hah?!_  You better watch that mouth of your's, Wei WuXian!"

 

"And why should I? You should be watching those hands of _your's_!"

 

"Wei WuXian, you better stop with these lies!"

 

"What is there to stop when I'm doing nothing, but telling the truth!"

 

"Wei Ying!"

 

"Jiang WanYin!" 

 

"The nerves you have  "

 

" _What is this?_ " 

 

Lan QiRen's voice broke through their argument. The two flickered their eyes over to him and both paused; one because his plan hadn't worked and the other because Lan QiRen figured it out. Holding up the net made of leaves and grass, Lan QiRen glared at the two residents of the YunmengJiang Sect. Underneath was a hole, one big enough to fit three Lan QiRen. 

 

It didn't take a genius to know what Wei WuXian was up to.

 

"What is this?" He repeated, his voice firmer and icier than snow. 

 

Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng met each other's gaze, and the former winked while the latter hurriedly shook his head; not knowing what he'll do, but knowing enough to know that it wasn't any good. 

 

"Aw, your plan didn't work after all, Jiang Cheng."

 

Everyone snapped their attention over to the said boy, eyes narrowed and complete with the promise of suffering for making such a ruckus in the morning. 

 

Jiang Cheng blinked. 

 

 _Shit_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can tell from this chapter and from the tags, Wei WuXian is a great wingman. Get you a friend like that.
> 
> Like I said in the previous chapter, these chapters will be alternating between the past and the present. Only after we catch up to the reason why Jiang Cheng turned bent will we start focusing on the present and stop with the past.
> 
> Anyways, people love to rip Jiang Cheng's sleeves. First Nei HuaiSang, then Wei WuXian, and lastly Lan XiChen.


	4. Ripping sleeves like it's job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, you have to be kidding me. He thought, suddenly all too aware of the fact that he was, in fact, half-naked and the only thing that was covering any dignity he had left was the towel clinging to his hips. Even then that did nothing to comfort him as he stared into the wide eyes of the older jade of the Lan clan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that I am still alive~ And that the way I write chapters go from the past then to the present! 
> 
> I apologize for the long wait, I was busy with another one of my story on Quotev UwU

_"There are rumors circulating that young master Jiang is getting stalked?"_

 

Several seconds of silence passed by. 

 

Then. 

 

Wei WuXian took in a quick, sharp breath and said, "Jiang Cheng, listen, in my defense you genuinely sounded like you were getting stalked. And me, being the great friend I am, wanted to help you out."

 

Jiang Cheng jerked his attention to Wei Wuxian, scowling and grabbed his best friend by the collar. "By spreading false lies? How is that helping!" Jiang Cheng snapped, releasing his hold on Wei Wuxian. He had to remind himself Lan Xichen was just a mere few feet away from him. "Coming to the most absurd conclusion is not helping! _Especially_ when that conclusion has no evidence to back it up whatsoever!"

 

"I didn't spread it! I just happened to exclaim very loudly, _in confusion_ , that you may have been getting stalked," Wei WuXian pointed out, flinching at the ferocious glare the purple-robed male sent him. He shifted around and Jiang Cheng wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or if the gap between Wei WuXian and Lan XiChen decreased significantly, almost as if the former was somehow protecting himself with that change in distance to the latter. 

 

 _Regardless_. 

 

"I didn't know this would end up getting to Old Man Lan's ear! A-Cheng, believe me, I'm stupid, but I wouldn't do something _that_ stupid that could possibly tarnish YunmengJiang and the Gusu Lan sect's peace," he said matter-of-factly. "Heavens, even _I'm_ not that disruptive."

 

"Right," Jiang Cheng drawled around bored disdain, his tone unbelieving and face blank face as he crossed his arm over his chest. "Nothing could top you telling old man Lan that he could be the third Jade of the Gusu Lan clan if he just shaved his goatee and got rid of his side-burn. How he just continued on with his lesson after hearing that, I'll never understand." 

 

Wei WuXian brightened up at the reminder and turned towards Lan XiChen, beaming with a toothy grin. "Is it not true? Young master Lan, you and Lan Zhan are the Twin Jade, so what's to stop old man Lan from being the third?" He shrugged his shoulders in exasperation . "Absolutely _n_ _othing_!" 

 

"You're ridiculous."  Jiang Cheng deadpanned. 

 

Wei Wuxian blew a kiss and winked. "I prefer _creative_."

 

Jiang Cheng scowled, turning towards Lan Xichen and bowed. "I apologize on Wei Wuxian's behalf, young master Lan. He's an idiot and that rumor was created nothing from his imagination."

 

"But A-Cheng, someone entered your quarters! What else was I suppose to _think_!" Said idiot cried out, throwing his arms over the younger male and ignored the glare that Jiang Cheng casted. "If anything, I demand a full-scale investigation!"

 

"Don't hug me, gross! Take your hands off me!"

 

"You shouldn't be speaking to your elders like that~"

 

"We're the _same age_!"

 

"But I'm _older_ than you."

 

The two bickered back and forth, unaware of the realization sparking to life in Lan Xichen's eyes. The said male shifted around awkwardly with a strained smile as he turned to Nie Huaisang who flapped his fan open, fanning his face with an equally awkward smile. The two exchanged looks and the younger male coughed, saying, "T-they're normally like this." 

 

"Normally?" Lan Xichen's lips twitched slightly, eager to slip into a full fledged and dashing smile. He stepped forward, getting in between the two bickering boys and chuckled softly, the awkwardness from before seeping into nothing but air. "There seems to have been some confusion. The GusuLan disciple you claim to be stalking young master Jiang is, well, _how do I say this_ , me." 

 

Silence. 

 

Wei Wuxian stepped back quickly, wrapping his arm around Nie Huaisang arm and muttered, " _Oh_. I didn't know you were into things like that Lan Xichen-Xiong, I apologize for causing you such trouble." He played with his hair, drifting his eyes across the ground idly. Clearing his throat, he continued. "Though, I don't understand why you would want to stalk Jiang Cheng of all people. He's very bland, if I do say so myself."

 

"What's _that_ suppose to mean  "

 

"I believe this is where the misunderstanding lies," Lan Xichen interrupted, laughing brightly as he did so. He stepped forward as the wind caressed his strands of ink, and the three before him watched as it swayed with the silent rhythm of the wind. Stars twinkled in his eyes as amusement pulled at his lips and Wei Wuxian wondered who exactly raised Lan Xichen for him to turn out so different from his brother and uncle  ~~~~those uptight grandmas.

 

"I was in charge of the night shift yesterday," he started, the amusement still tainting his features. "Because of the recent ruckus and tired disciples falling asleep in the middle of class, Uncle asked me to play a song that will guarantee everyone a peaceful sleep. I did as he said, but went to check on everyone's quarter to make sure no one had fallen asleep on the floor on accident, because of the music."

 

He continued. "I happened to find young master Jiang in what looked like an uncomfortable position and placed him in bed and undid his hair for him. I apologize for causing such mayhem and confusion. I hadn't realized how everyone would take that as, so again, I apologize."

 

He bowed and Jiang Cheng quickly hurried to stop him. "A-ah, there's no need! It wasn't a big deal at all, if anything, I'm grateful! Because of you, I could rest peacefully for once," he said sincerely, and then added after a brief pause. "I had no idea you played the guqin." 

 

"Hm? Ah, I play from time to time, but I'm nowhere near as good as Wangji," Lan Xichen replied. "I tend to use a _Xiao_."

 

Jiang Cheng nodded in understanding, all tense pressure from this morning drifting away. Looking at the older male, he let out a relaxed sigh. 

 

_'So it had been Lan Xichen all along.'_

 

From afar, Wei Wuxian silently observed the two with narrowed eyes as the silence seemed to weigh heavier with each passing second. The silence screamed at him as he flickered his eyes over to rest on the happier Lan who seemed to be a little too fixated on the semi-smiling Jiang Cheng. Eyes drifting over to his best friend, Wei Wuxian frowned as the gears in his head turned.

 

Sighing, he swiftly turned around and headed back to his gust quarter. 

 

Just what was he suppose to do?

 

"Young master Wei? What brings you here at this time?" Lan Xichen rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes, flashing a brief smile to the rowdy disciple who seemed to be in deep thoughts. 

 

Wei Wuxian flickered his eyes up to the taller male and muttered something inaudible. He smiled sheepishly in reply and clasped his hands together. "Can you please continue on playing the guqin for Jiang Cheng?" He asked, scratching his hair nervously and rambled on. "Jiang Cheng's been restless lately and it's probably because of the incident back with the waterborne abyss... He's expressed before how anxious and stressed he was back then, but I had told him to drop it and told him it wasn't his fault, but clearly he hasn't been 'dropping it'. For once he looked peaceful when I went to check up on him this morning, but just now I went to check up on him again and he's still awake  "

 

Lan Xichen raised a hand and Wei Wuxian stopped, glancing at him in confusion. Before he could utter his thoughts again, Lan Xichen spoke up. "I understand," he said, smiling that damned smile. "I'll gladly help young master Jiang during the night."

 

[...} 

 

 

"My butt _hurts_!"

 

"Good!"

 

"What do you mean _good!_  Is that how you thank someone who helped you?!"

 

"Help? Hah, keep lying to yourself Wei Wuxian! Because of you my back is probably black and blue!"

 

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng scowled, glaring at each other as each of their arm dangled off of Nie Huaisang's shoulders. The short haired male sweat dropped, dragging the two taller boys to the best of his abilities. That wasn't saying a lot considering the fact that they had barely moved a few feet despite being there for nearly half an hour after their punishment. 

 

"If you haven't noticed, Lan Xichen is in charge of looking after you for a month!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, exaggeratedly rolling his eyes as he clung to Nie Huaisang tighter, leaving no room for Jiang Cheng. "Be thankful!"

 

"If you think me having to write down all the rules five times is a blessing, then you can kiss my ass," was Jiang Cheng's sincere reply. 

 

The purple-robed male growled under his breath, pushing himself off of the weaker boy between the three and smiled, startling the two in front of him. "Thank you, A-Xian," Jiang Cheng said, his voice downright giddy and would've given the impression he was delighted had it not been for the deeply rooted glare and bitter expression on his face. "Is that what you wanted me to say? Because I'm not. If anything, I'm thinking the heavens and immortals should curse you." 

 

"That's uncalled for!" Wei Wuxian gasped, placing a hand over his heart and feinting a hurt expression. Jiang Cheng ignored him, limping back to his quarters with conjured curses that sounded as if he wanted to damn someone. That someone was most likely the idiotic best friend of his. 

 

He flopped onto his bed, groaning loudly as his back ached with every movement he made. Even Lan Xichen wasn't worth _this_ much pain. 

 

At least, _that's_ what he tried to tell himself, but he knew that was no use. It still couldn't get rid of that warm feeling in his chest and the smile that fought to appear on his face.

 

Ever since his nightmares had settled those few months ago, he didn't have many excuses to see the older jade of the Lan clan, but now? He could be seeing him everyday for a month and it was because of stupid Wei Wuxian, that helpful idiot. 

 

"What even was the purpose of that plan?" Jiang Cheng thought aloud to himself, rolling onto his back only to realize that had been a fatal mistake as a scream nearly ripped out of his mouth. He gritted his teeth, carefully rolling back onto his stomach and stood up cautiously, making sure to not move in any way to contribute to the pain. 

 

Taking off his robes, Jiang Cheng cursed Wei Wuxian to hell and back as he threw it over to the side of his bed. "A shower," he scowled, going to the guest bath house. "What I need is a shower." 

 

Already nearing the door, Jiang Cheng grabbed the purple ribbon keeping his hair together and winced at the strain it put on his back. Allowing his strands of hair to fall against his back, Jiang Cheng grabbed a pair of white robes as he trudge to the bath house in his inner wear, too upset at this point to feel embarrassed. Thankfully he hadn't passed by any disciple on his way there. 

 

Sliding into the warmth of the bath, Jiang Cheng groaned in pain, rolling his head back and draping his arms around the two boulders behind him. The water stung his skin and Jiang Cheng wasn't sure if this was exactly helpful. 

 

"Maybe I should've gone to the physician instead," he muttered to himself, sinking his head until what were only left were his eyes. Silence answered him and Jiang Cheng pursed his lips, watching as his hair floated about as the warmth clung to his skin.

 

It was quiet. Jiang Cheng closed his eyes. This was nice  ~~\---~~

 

 ~~\---~~ the door to the bath house slammed open and a particular happy voice came hollering in and Jiang Cheng groaned, sinking further until he wasn't visible at all. 

 

"A-Cheng! I know you're in here!" Wei Wuxian chirped cheerfully, looking around and spotted a purple ribbon. He looked over to hot spring near it and saw a dark shape in the water and grinned. "Aha! There you are!"

 

 _Oh, for heaven's sake_. Jiang Cheng thought, wondering just what did he do in his past life to be bestowed with such an annoyance. Grumbling under his breath, or, well, _water_ , Jiang Cheng resurfaced and stood up, holding back a hiss as he ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. 

 

"What do you want, Wei Wuxian?" Jiang Cheng asked in annoyance, opening his eyes when the said boy didn't answer him. "Unlike you  ~~\---~~  "

 

Jiang Cheng's blood ran cold. 

 

 _Oh, you have to be kidding me._ He thought, suddenly all too aware of the fact that he was, in fact, half-naked and the only thing that was covering any dignity he had left was the towel clinging to his hips. Even then that did nothing to comfort him as he stared into the wide eyes of the older jade of the Lan clan. 

 

Jiang Cheng watched as the young man's face slowly heated up as he was trapped beneath a wide-eyed stare. Those eyes seemed to burn straight through his body, as if they could see him and wanted to capture him with that piercing gaze of his. Gold, just like Jiang Cheng first noted when he met him. 

 

Gold, just like when he had fallen for him 

 

The spell lasted only a second or two longer before a cheerful voice shattered it. 

 

"Nice body, Jiang Cheng!" Wei Wuxian was the first to break the silence, throwing a thumbs up as Nie Huaisang fanned his face, still supporting the idiot. "I knew you were always lean and muscular under those baggy sect uniform!" 

 

Jiang Cheng knew from the bottom of his heart, no, his  _soul_ that he wanted nothing to do more than sink back into the comfort of the water or strangle Wei Wuxian to death. Preferably the latter. Still, he gritted his teeth as his eyes narrowed into a glare while he canted his chin towards the sky, fire blossoming in his eyes and growing with each passing second.

 

" _GET OUT!"_

 

_~~\-----~~ _

 

"Honestly, I didn't think it was necessary to throw that bucket at me," Wei Wuxian said nonchalantly, rubbing his head that had taken the hit. "I didn't know you'd be naked."

 

Jiang Cheng only glared, drying his hair as Nie Huaisang fanned his still bruised back. "Do you wanna die?" The younger male hissed, grabbing the medicine Lan Xichen had left behind to apply to his bruised back. 

 

Wei Wuxian grabbed the crushed herbs and smiled cheekily. "Tempting offer, but no." He said, rubbing it onto his best friend's back and laughed when the younger male howled in pain, jolting and twitching and spazzing all the while conjuring a storm of curses. 

 

"Be gentle, idiot!"

 

"I am!"

 

" _No_ , you're _not_ Ow!"

 

" _Now_ , I'm not."

 

Needless to say, Jiang Cheng felt completely justified in punching the smug grin off of Wei Wuxian's face. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behind the scenes of why Lan Xichen left:
> 
> Lan Xichen: *Sees half naked Jiang Cheng*
> 
> Lan Xichen, smiling: Excuse me
> 
> *Later on*
> 
> Lan Xichen, staring into the mirror: Calm thy dick, my son


End file.
